1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in production of a woven seam in fabric belts. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically forming a woven seam in industrial fabrics of the type employed in the papermaking industry. The present apparatus is especially useful in automated seaming of papermakers fabrics used in the Fourdrinier or forming section of a paper machine.
2. Background of the Art
The art has recognized for some time the advantages to be achieved through the seaming of flat woven fabrics to render them endless, in the manner of a circular or endless woven fabric. Most recently, the art has recognized the advantages to be achieved by the use of automated equipment to weave the seam which renders a flat woven fabric endless. Two prior art attempts to economically accomplish such automated seaming are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,410,015 and 4,581,794. U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,794 is commonly assigned with the present invention to Asten Group, Inc. Notwithstanding the aforementioned attempts, a majority of the seaming is still accomplished by a semi-automated hand weaving operation.
A major concern of the prior art, both automatic and semi-automatic, has been the ability to select, separate, present and interweave individual threads in the proper order during seam formation. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, it is preferred that the weave pattern in the seam area be consistent with the weave throughout the remainder of the fabric. With very simple fabrics, such as a single layer plain weave, the problem is not so acute. However, in multi-layered fabrics having more complex weaves, the problems associated with separating the proper yarn in accordance with the weave sequence is more acute.
For some time, the art has sought solutions to the problems of selecting the yarn, separating the yarn and presenting the yarn for interweaving. The present invention meets all three of these objectives.